M4.6 Earthquake 204 km N of Daocheng, China — September 18, 2026
2026-09-18 12:09:48 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 7:09 PM UTC+7 local
On September 18, 2026 at 12:09 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 204 km N of Daocheng, China, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 30.8534°, 99.9220°. This earthquake was detected by 45 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
99.9220°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Daocheng, China?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 204 km N of Daocheng, China on September 18, 2026 at 12:09 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 30.8534°, 99.9220°, which is 204 km N of Daocheng, China.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ti9a). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 18, 2026). M4.6 Earthquake 204 km N of Daocheng, China — September 18, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ti9a/